The long term goal of this application is to increase the number of graduates holding the Ph.D. degree in pharmaceutics, especially among African-Americans and other underrepresented ethnic groups, in order to meet the urgent and rising need by academia and industry for such individuals. The specific aims of this application are: (1) to prepare highly-trained scientists in pharmaceutics by enabling graduates with an M.S. degree in pharmaceutics from Florida A&M University to pursue the Ph.D. degree at the University of Florida; (2) to expand and enhance the existing graduate program (at Florida A&M University) by offering the Ph.D. degree in the area of pharmaceutics with the collaboration of the University of Florida; and (3) to utilize the administrative, physical and faculty resources at both institutions in achieving the long term goals of the program.